A Sunny Day

Posted on May 6, 2013May 6, 2013 by Dusty Roads

The weather remains cool (50’s) but sunny. The local weatherman says we need rain and that we are running about 10 degrees below average in temperature. The Right Whales are feeding off Cape Cod and it seems every weekend there’s another benefit walk for something.

The cats continue to drive me crazy. Last night after I went to bed I was awakened by loud growls. As I ran to the living room to break up the fight, Smokey at my heels, Rocky bolted to a cardboard box and Buddy flopped onto his side next to it. They both looked at me like they were the most innocent creatures in the world. Clearly it was a “mock battle”.

Not so this morning at 6am when Buddy decided he wanted Smokey’s window seat. (Sigh) That was a real fight, if one-sided. Poor Smokey! I wish I knew who removed his claws! We could pull off a few fingernails and see how they like it.

What will happen when I’m away on vacation and not around to play referee?

But back to yesterday. Since it was a nice sunny day I headed out to take some pictures. I’ve been neglecting some of my favorite spots and it was time to see what was going on for spring.

Lake Rico was busy with families picnicking and kids fishing. Since I didn’t want to intrude I moved on to the Herring Run. I’d seen some great pictures from some of my friends but when I got there the only wildlife was a few grackles.

I hung out for about an hour but nary a sea gull came to visit…lots of people but not much else.

Next stop the Grist Mill Pond in Plymouth.

Mr. Majestic was feeling his oats chasing the Canada Geese up and down the pond. Mrs. Majestic was still on her nest.

At one point he climbed up on the bank and after clearing the area of his pesky nemesis he performed what can only be called his victory dance!

Then off he sailed, head held high, obviously quite pleased with himself.

Springtime at the Pond

Posted on April 26, 2013April 26, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It’s a beautiful spring day. Even the breeze carries a hint of warmth. Buds are starting to appear on most of the trees. Some plants are even flowering. Robins made their appearance a couple of weeks ago but even more birds are arriving daily. The previously frozen landscape is awakening.

A visit to the Grist Mill Pond in Plymouth, Ma reflects the rhythms of spring as well.

Mr. Majestic patrolled the pond with his typical aggressive enthusiasm. His usual targets, the Canada Geese, were on the pond in force keeping him busy posturing and chasing. They approached Mr. Majestic’s end of the pond like a noisy armada.

He’s truly beautiful when he fluffs out his feathers . He’s King of the Pond! The geese didn’t stand a chance and retreated back to the far end of the pond. Far from Mr. Majestic’s domain.

All this warfare is tiring and soon Mr. Majestic took a nap floating right on the water.

He kept one eye open for sneak attacks but the geese had other things on their minds.

The Pond Crier, a gull, was busy guarding some stale bread. He would sound the the alarm for sure if the geese made any adverse moves.

Nearby a male and female duck rested on the new grass.

But back to Mr. Majestic, what had inspired him to be so territorial so early in the season? A search of the far bank soon revealed the reason. There was Mrs. Majestic snoozing on a nest.

Mr. Majestic shook off his nap and checked his reflection in the water. (Mirror, Mirror?)

Satisfied with what he saw in the water he was soon escorting the Mrs. to dinner. What a lovely couple.

I wonder if there will be little majestics later this spring.

Barn Babies

Posted on April 25, 2013April 25, 2013 by Dusty Roads

About a week ago I had the awesome honor of photographing my friend’s daughter.

You saw one of her pictures on the Mother’s Day Card posted on my card page. Dawn was a great little model for one so young doing everything I asked of her and hanging in until I was done. Such patience in a young one deserves a reward so Nancy, Dawn’s mother suggested we take Dawn to see the Barn Babies at the Westgate Mall.

Now my little friend Dawn is as much of an animal lover as I am so that was easy to agree to and off we went.

Set up was inside the mall with hay bales to sit on and plenty of plastic to cover the floor. The lamb wore a diaper and the puppies and tiny little pig were in mini enclosures. There were plenty of Barn Baby staff to assist and parents or adult friends were also allowed into the enclosure. I’d be lying if I said it was quiet. It was not ! It was crowded and all of the kids were excited but the staff had it down to a science.

Each child had a sticker with the time they came in. Every half hour or so a bell was rung and the children who had been there the longest had to leave to make room for a new group. A child could get back in line to go in again but had to wait their turn.

The children could hold bunnies and kittens and chicks. Each baby animal was swaddled in a blanket by a staff member before being placed gently in the child’s hands. The children were then told to sit down quietly. To my surprise none of the babies seemed to be nervous or upset.

I asked the staff about that as I held a bunny that was dozing in my arms. They said the swaddling gives the babies a sense of security and keeps them calm. If they get stressed they burrow into the swaddling cloths and that keeps them from scratching the child by trying to get away. They also watch for signs that a baby is getting stressed and if so rotate them out for a time so they can calm down.

After we left I got to thinking about all the baby animals I saw especially the kittens and chicks and bunnies. I know how many cats are abandoned and need homes and how around Easter the Humane Society and other rescue groups beg the public not to get bunnies and chicks as pets because they are so often abandoned or surrendered shortly after they are brought home for the holiday.

So I wrote to Barn Babies and asked them what happened to these animals after they were too big for the traveling zoo. I was gratified to get a quick response. Having witnessed their gentle care in the chaos of the mall and with the quick response I feel comfortable giving them a hearty Thumbs Up.

So here in their own words is was I was told:

Barn Babies works closely with local farmers and breeders. Many of the babies you saw on Tuesday already have “furrever” homes, which are families that we approve to adopt them after they retire from Barn Babies. We socialize them so often that many families are attracted to our pets.

We are a USDA licensed business as an “animal exhibitor” which means many things, but relating to your question our USDA license means that we must track where every baby comes from and goes to, the state keeps track of all our babies & where they end up (as well as how they are taken care of when they are with us).

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Join us at www.facebook.com/barnbabies

Ospreys and Eagles …Oh My!

Posted on April 20, 2013April 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Time to head to the docks or should I say a dock. I’m heading out on an Eagle/Osprey cruise. I last went on one of these trips on a cold day in February 2011. Of course I picked the coldest day of the year to go at that time. https://aroundustyroads.com/2011/03/04/eagles-on-the-connecticut-river/

This time the weather seems a bit warmer even with the stiff breeze.

The cruise leaves from the dock at Eagle Landing State Park which is located in Haddam across the river from the Goodspeed Opera House.

I am always impressed by how personable and knowledgeable the crew of Riverquest is about the sights along the river and the birds that can be seen. They are the ones who first pointed out Gillette Castle and gave a thumbnail history. They also knew the ID and history of the impressive building that turned out to be St. John’s. Plus they have “eagle” eyes when it come to spotting birds!

Today the cruise is billed as an Eagle and Osprey tour and we certainly got to see Osprey. We also got off to a quick start with the eagles. Barely out from the dock 4 birds were spotted circling very high up. Binoculars came out and a discussion ensued but finally it was determined that there were 4, possibly 5 juvenile eagles soaring on the thermals.

Juvenile eagles are not as distinctive as their more mature counterparts. They start out brown and progress through stages as they age. An eagle expert can tell the age of a juvenile by how much “mottling” the feathers show. They don’t get the trademark white head until they are 5 years old.

We started watching Osprey right at the dock. A pair are trying to build a nest on the center tower of the swing bridge but are having a tough time because of the wind.

As we headed down the river it seemed like every buoy or marker had a pair of Osprey trying to build a nest. It was clear that there is a thriving population of Osprey on this section of the Connecticut River.

We also saw double crested cormorants, a peregrine falcon buzzed the bow of the boat, and even a red-shouldered hawk (as opposed to a red tail hawk) took to the thermals watching for prey. Common mergansers with their funny “bad hair day ” crest floated on the river while Black Backed gulls patrolled the skies.

We passed a mute swan and spotted a loon. And then we saw the large eagle nest on an island ahead of us. The captain brought the boat in as close as he could but even then it was pretty far away. At least it wasn’t hidden by leaves yet so we had a clear line of sight and there they were. Two adult eagles , fully mature, with their white heads gleaming in the afternoon sun. As one moved off the nest to a nearby tree we could just make out the head of a baby eagle above the edge of the nest.

The pictures aren’t great because of the distance but lack of pictures didn’t dampen the excitement of seeing these gorgeous birds in the wild.

All in all it was a successful and enjoyable trip down the Connecticut River and I will continue my quest for that iconic photo of an eagle in the wild. Maybe I’ll get a chance in Alaska!

Allens Pond Trails

Posted on April 12, 2013April 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

A few days ago I started telling you about a new Wildlife Sanctuary, well new to me anyway…Allens Pond in Westport. So much happened between my first post about Allens Pond and this installment that it’s hard to believe its been less than a week.

Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary is 595 acres that includes a coastal salt-pond, a salt marsh, a barrier beach, shrublands , forested wetlands and grasslands.

The sanctuary consists of 6 miles of trails where you can wander along the Buzzards Bay Shoreline, cross an old pasture or climb among giant boulders.

On my visit the sun was shining but the wind off the bay was blustery and made it cold in spite of the sunshine. Because of this I only explored half of the Beach Loop trail which was only a tiny part of the trail system.

The section I explored took me along a dirt road with Allens Pond on my left and Buzzards Bay on my right. Most of the time I could see the pond but the view of the bay was blocked by the shrublands or what I would call shrubland. These low but thick bushes are nesting areas for several protected species of birds. Piping Plovers and a couple of species of terns are known to nest here and the area is clearly marked as protected.

As you first encounter the pond from the trail you will see an Osprey nesting platform. To my right were smaller nest boxes more suitable for Eastern Bluebirds or other small, grassland birds. I saw plenty of ducks including a merganser with its fluffy looking head of feathers but no action at the Osprey Nest while I was there.

A bit farther along it was clear that the swans were here. About 6 white spots floated on the blue water just beyond my camera’s range. In the soft sand in the road I spotted the distinctive split hoof print of a deer.

It must have passed through just before I came along because the way the wind was blowing the print wouldn’t stay visible for long. In fact by the time I had turned back it was gone, filled in by the sifting, blowing sand.

By now I was pretty wind burned but it had been a nice little walk. I didn’t walk back along the shore because the round rocks were pretty unstable underfoot and I was only wearing sneakers so I retraced my steps back along the road.